Steven C. Brandon

• BSME 1983; MSME 1989, Ph.D. Food Technology 2005
• Senior Lecturer at Clemson University

This is data collected as part of my doctoral research project on flow in parallel channels aim at discovering the root cause of observed plugs of semi-solid material in parallel-tube membrane filtration modules following processing of apple puree and tomato juice/paste.

Plugging often occurs when fluid foods are processed in parallel-tube devices (e.g., tubular heat exchangers and membrane filtration modules, especially when fluids are concentrated). Plugging reduces productivity by reducing performance and causing downtime to remove the plug. The cause of plugging is explained here for the first time and a means...

Pilot-scale microfiltration (MF), microfiltration-diafiltration (MDF), ultrafiltration (UF), ultrafiltration-diafiltration (UDF), and nanofilration (NF) membrane fractionation processes were designed and evaluated for removing 90% to 95% of the lactose and sodium from skim milk. The study was designed to evaluate several membrane fractionation sche...

This dissertation presents details of an investigation to determine the cause of plugging of parallel-tube flow devices with fluid foods. Such devices, e.g., tubular heat exchangers and membrane modules, are commonly used by food processors. Since plugging of these devices results in reduced performance and requires costly interruption of productio...

The cause of the formation of plugs in parallel-tube flow devices, e.g., tubular heat exchangers and membrane filtration modules, in food applications has not been understood. The current study demonstrates, by both experiment and numerical model, that only semi-solid food fluids, with a sufficient yield stress, are not completely cleared from all...

This is an Excel file containing data recorded on tomato paste. Most of this data was recorded while circulating tomato paste through a parallel-tube test rig at various velocities (shear rates) to measure the rheological behavior of the paste. Following each test, the paste was flushed from the tubes with water and recorded visually using a digita...

This is a brief video clip showing tomato paste being flushed from four parallel tubes with water. The purpose was to record when some tubes cleared leaving other still partially filled with (plugged with) tomato paste.

This is a brief video clip showing tomato paste being flushed from four parallel tubes with water. This view shows the flow from drain valves at the downstream end of each pipe. The purpose was to record when some tubes cleared leaving other still partially filled with (plugged with) tomato paste.

This is an Excel file containing data recorded on glycerin, a viscous, newtonian liquid (with no yield stress). Most of this data was recorded while circulating glycerin through a parallel-tube test rig at various velocities (shear rates) to measure it's rheological behavior. Following this test, the glycerin was flushed from the tubes with water a...

This is a brief video clip showing 1.5% Carbopol gel (with a yield stress) being flushed from four parallel tubes with water. The purpose was to record the when some tubes cleared leaving other still partially filled with (plugged with) gel. The flushing water was tinted orange with food coloring to more clearly distinguish between colorless gel an...

This Excel file contains a record of the flow schematics of several test rigs I used in my doctoral research investigating plugging in parallel tube devices. The two rigs set up in 1999 and 2000 were for membrane concentration of depectinized, finished apple puree. These rigs were assembled using 1.5-inch diameter 316SS tube with 3A sanitary (dairy...

This is an Excel file containing data recorded in April 1999 during an experiment in which depectinized, finished apple puree was concentrated (volume reduced) six fold by extraction of clarified juice (MF membrane permeate). This is part of a study summarized in Appendix C of my doctoral dissertation. I recommend downloading and opening in Excel,...

This is an Excel file containing data recorded in April 1999 during an experiment in which depectinized, finished apple puree was concentrated (volume reduced) two fold by extraction of clarified juice (MF membrane permeate). This is part of a study summarized in Appendix C of my doctoral dissertation. I recommend downloading and opening in Excel,...

The invention is directed to a method for improving the filtration efficiency of an altered substrate filter element comprising a porous solid substrate, one side of which is impregnated with sintered solid particles, by treating the solids-oxide-impregnated side with an aqueous suspension of small non-agglomerated solid particles which are deposit...

Stable formed-in-place saccharinic gum membranes on a porous support, the membranes being modified by contact with at least an equivalent of multivalent cations to anionic groups in the gum.

This thesis presents details of the design of an apparatus and experimental results from a study of heat transfer by natural convection of helium contained in an annular enclosure between two horizontal, concentric cylinders whose surface temperatures are maintained at cryogenic temperatures. In the range of temperatures used in this study, 77 K to...

The potential for production of microbiologically stable apple juice by metallic membrane ultrafiltration was assessed. Thermal sterilization treatments caused no detectable changes in membrane performance. Sterile membranes were challenged with approximately 3 × 10^6 colony forming units per gram of each of three organisms, Pseudomonas diminuta, B...

An experimental study was performed to determine the effect of varying the Expansion number on the heat transfer by natural convection of helium between horizontal, isothermal, concentric cylinders. Time-averaged temperature profiles at various locations in the annulus and overall heat transfer rates were measured as the Rayleigh number was varied...